A sucker for most mythology-based fiction, I was very excited to pick up this book.
About 1/3 of the way through, I nearly gave up on it.
I love the premise of the book - a prequel to the Trojan War - and getting a deeper look at the relationships within the royal house of Troy and the citizens.
It's beautifully written and the character development is excellent.
But the pacing. THE PACING.
Moments that should be wrapped up in a few pages drag on over chapters. Exchanges that require rich detail are shortened in a paragraph or two, instead of the chapter they deserve.
The writing and the story kept me reading, but the payoff at the end wasn't nearly as satisfying as other books, and it was enough for me to pass on reading the sequel.
I wish I could say I loved this book. It's fine, and worth reading if you love mythology and are craving something in the genre.

I have a MA in Classics and a passion for all things ancient so read this with high hopes. I was both happy and disappointed. The good points are definitely the authors lyrical style which was just beautiful and the fact that she evokes the places and atmosphere wonderfully. Unfortunately though I I found it difficult to connect to the characters some appeared so briefly and I would have preferred it if the author had focused on a few characters rather than trying to fit them all in, I never felt I really cared or connected with most of them which is a pity,

Wow. I am a huge fan of classical antiquity and I've read many retellings/interpretations of the Trojan war. This is by far my favourite so far. There was never a dull moment. The book read like an epic high fantasy novel and I loved being able to picture all these events coming to life so vividly. I found myself invested in all the characters and I can't wait for the next book to pick up where Song of Sacrifice left off.

I always love discovering (Greek) mythology inspired stories and as soon as I read the blurb of Song Of Sacrifice I knew I had no other choice but to read it. This first installment of the Homeric Chronicles is set in the years leading up to the famous Troyan War (1295-1251 BCE) and includes a wide variety of myths, stories and different characters. If you enjoy reading about the Troyan war and happened to cause it, I can without doubt recommend Song Of Sacrifice! It truly shows that the author has investigated the topic thoroughly and then succeeded to combine an impressive amount of different stories and characters in such a way that it flowed in a coherent and chronological way. Some minor changes have been made, but I love how true to the original versions Song Of Sacrifice stays. Any Greek mythology fan will be able to appreciate that! The writing is more than solid and is very easy to read. And while there are many different characters and settings, it never distracted or confused me as I was reading the story (although I guess it does help having a general idea of who the main characters involved are). In fact, I loved the fact that the story doesn't focus on just one character, but instead offers us multiple views and stories to treasure. This gives Song Of Sacrifice a multidimensional and rich feel and definitely added to my positive experience with this story. Gods and humans alike play a role in this story, and I think descriptions and historical setting are spot on. A fair warning for adult content and trigger warning worthy topics as abuse, rape and violence, but it kind of goes with Greek mythology stories as they can get pretty brutal. Song Of Sacrifice is part of a series, and book one doesn't actually get to the point of the Troyan war yet, but reading about the (lesser known) years leading up to the war is just as fascinating. Fans of historical fiction and Greek mythology retellings will love spending time with this story.

Song of Sacrifice is an excellent reimagining of the Trojan war. In this first novel, the author recounts the years leading to the war, and focuses not only on the most famous heroes but also on characters who are usually less featured in the stories, such as Hecuba, Priam, Thetis and Briseis. This gave a fresh view of the well known story, and it also taught me many secondary myths I had never heard about. The book is maybe a little too long and has quite a lot of sex scenes, some of which not really essential to the plot, but it is a very good read overall.

I enjoyed all the storylines, but my favourite character was probably Clytemnestra. She was one of the main reasons I was attracted by this book in the first place. In my opinion, she is a fascinating figure and, although quite ruthless and overall a negative character, I always thought her actions were easily justified. She had to go through some horrific experiences and griefs and I really felt for her. I liked the fact that she managed to stay strong despite everything which happened to her, and how she gradually became more manipolative and cunning.

I will definitely pick up the next novel in the series.

When I was a kid, I had this encyclopedia of Greek myths that I loved. However, like all reference materials, the stories in it were presented in a rather dull, textbook-like style—good enough if you’re simply looking up a name, or just want the straight up details…except I wanted more. As a child, going through that big book and reading about all these Greek gods and goddesses doing amazing, uncanny things, I always imagined in my mind what they would think or feel if they were real people with actual emotions and personalities.

In the end, I believe this is why I enjoyed Circe so much. I’ve been dreaming about a book like this ever since I was a kid. Not only does the author bring our favorite mythological figures to life, she also takes them to newer and higher limits by exploring their hearts, minds, and voices. Exploring the period preceding the Trojan war.

It’s amazing how a bit of context and character development has managed to totally transform Clytemnestra, Leda of Sparta, Penelope, Thetis, Hecuba and many more stories and add layers of nuance. I'll definitly be keeping my eye on this author's future books.

5 stars well deserved 👏🏻
Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy of the book!

I devoured this book. I am big fan of Greek myths and I particularly love The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer.

We all know these stories and still the author had a grip on me and I wanted to know how she would write their destiny. Her writing is beautiful, lyrical, as it should be.

She made me love characters I didn't like before. The way she showed that none of them are masters of their destiny brings so much more empathy.
Greek Gods have a big part in the story since they are characters in it, they intervened, they provoked everything that happened, like bored children in Olympia, they wanted a better game : a war.

This book takes place before the war. We have the perspectives of all the characters that plays a role (even a small one) in the Trojan War. How they're all bound by destiny, how this war will impact them all.
I loved to see their lives closely, feel what they were feeling. It made me feel as powerless as them.

It was beautifully done.

I'm so impatient to read the second book that will take place in Troy, for the said war.

Song of Sacrifice was an interesting spin on Greek mythology told from the human perspective. This is not my normal genre of fiction to read but it was an enjoyable book and brought back many memories of reading the great Greek epic poems like The Odyssey and The Illiad. This novel is of the same theme with human sacrifice and suffering due the God's whims. Brilliant novel; a definite ready for anyone interested in this subject.

I really enjoyed this book and appreciated the opportunity to read and review it. I am a fan of Homer and any retelling of the Trojan war....well, let's say that it is a must read for me. I could not wait to open and devour this book, and it did not disappoint me. Some authors choose to keep the story as soft and gentle as possible, some are overly gruesome, beyond what normal readers would prefer. This book, however, was a perfect middle ground. The author did an excellent job of showing the reader the nitty-gritty details with how violent an encounter with one of the gods could be, but also how some gods were gentle and caring (so long as it was in their own best interest). The book flowed without any noticeable slow areas, and had the right amount of action to keep a reader interested. There are many points of view in this book, but if you have experience with the Iliad, you will not have any trouble following along. For those of you who are not as familiar with the Iliad, it may take a little bit of reading before the connection is made of who is who.

A full review of this amazing book will be posted on my blog by 2-1-2019
Four stars!

celticslibrary.wix.com/website

Song of Sacrifice
Jannell Rhiannon

The Song Of Sacrifice is an Epic Retelling Of The Trojan War

A tragic adventure with an immense amount of characters including Gods and Goddesses. Epic War, sacrifice, and revenge .
Great detail and wonderful world building makes for this enjoyable read. A memorable retelling.

Received a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review

“While you live, hope exists. It’s only hidden beneath your pain.”

Oh my god, I really think it’s so cruel to finish this book with Iphigenia’s sacrifice; I cried all my tears. Clytemnestra’s and Briseis’ stories are the one that touched me more. They are full of loss and desperation that I really identified myself with them and I felt all their pain! This way to rewrite stories that everyone knows with so much attention to women’s point of view is really exciting and makes them even more real and actual.

I loved this book! I liked the style of writing, the world building and the well written characters.
The plot was engaging and entertaining, it kept me hooked till the last page.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Gods, goddesses, nymphs, kings, queens, seers, betrayal, love, tragedy, longing, this book has it all. Janell Rhiannon skillfully blends the historical chronicles of: Paris, Achilles, Hector and Odysseus in one stunning chronological tale. Her artful writing style will pull you right into the story from the first sentence.

Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours for the arc of this book, and what a book it is.
If you love Greek mythology, gods and goddesses, you are going to love this book.
Think Trojan war, and then go backwards, this is the story of how it all came to be, how everyone’s life and fates intertwined, an amazing read, very hard to put down, very well written, I loved it.

Everyone knows the stories of the Trojan War, but we often don't think of the women who gave up their children, their lives and their homes to appease their gods and their husbands. Queen Hecuba of Troy if forced to sacrifice her son Paris after a seer decrees that he will cause the downfall of Troy. Queen of Sparta, Leda has been taken by Zeus giving her two children by her husband and two children by Zeus. Her daughters, Clytemnestra and Helen will go on to endure different fates by husbands Agamemnon and Menelaus. Penelope, wife of Odysseus of Ithaca raises her son alone while Odysseus is called to war and waits 20 years for his return. From afar, the Gods and Goddesses watch and intervene in the lives of the mortals who desperately try to defy their will.

Song of Sacrifice is a fresh retelling of the Trojan War that focuses on the stories and emotions of the women, mothers and children of the story. Beginning with Hecuba who had Paris ripped from her to be sacrificed for her country and never recovered from the loss to Helen who viewed her beauty as a curse and was continually sold to the highest bidder instead of finding love for herself. The writing intricately investigates the inner thoughts and emotions of the female players both real and mythological while not losing sight of the bigger story. Song of Sacrifice does cover a very long time period and includes a large cast of characters, I often found myself having to stop and process all that was happening. With so much at stake- bloodshed, war, romance, family issues and mythology, Song of Sacrifice provides an epic and in-depth look at the people behind the Trojan War.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.